New Delhi 

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday strongly criticised the Congress for demanding a discussion on the West Asia conflict while having a debate on the No Confidence Motion against Lok Sabha Speaker already scheduled.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed both Houses that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Addressing the Houses regarding the volatile situation in West Asia, Jaishankar confirmed that the government has issued formal advisories to Indian nationals in the region.

However, Opposition MPs raised slogans and placards, demanding a discussion rather than a ministerial statement.

Calling Congress MP Rahul Gandhi a "failed Leader of Opposition," Piyush Goyal alleged a rift within the INDIA bloc. He accused the Congress of disturbing the House and wasting time.

He said, "The notice was admitted at the Congress party's request. After discussing it with them, it was decided that it would be discussed today. There would be a debate on it today. At the same time, they bring another motion. They neither understand any parliamentary procedure nor do they respect the Constitution. Ever since Rahul Gandhi became the leader of the opposition, he has apparently lost all desire to run Parliament. They come with a pre-planned strategy. Bringing placards. Disturbing the House. Wasting Parliament's time on baseless topics. Members of their own alliance are running away from this debate."

"There is a rift in the INDIA bloc. Rahul Gandhi is a failed leader of the opposition. He neither understands the Constitution nor is he interested in or understanding the parliamentary process, procedure, or rulebook. And from his way of working, it is clear that the Congress is a directionless, completely failed opposition party. I believe his allies, the DMK and TMC, have also begun to understand this, and that is why they abandoned the Congress in today's debate," the Union Minister added.

Earlier today, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the Centre over External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's parliamentary statement on the West Asia conflict, demanding a discussion on the issue.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Tharoor said that reading a statement without a discussion is "unfair" to the MPs.

He said, "The issue before the party was that this is a matter of gravity and should be discussed in the House. The purpose of Parliament is to take up the issues that matter to India and to have a serious discussion. Just reading a statement, without any questions, our point of view is not fair to the members of the House. So, the party was agitating to have a discussion so we can ask questions about energy security, oil prices have gone high, and LPG prices were raised by the government."

"There are larger questions of international law. Whatever those questions may be, Parliament is the right forum to ventilate them. We are not saying we are the government. They are the government, and they will do what they want to, but at least use Parliament to hear the views of a cross-section of the nation," he added.

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The political row comes amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia after the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on February 28, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top leadership. Iran retaliated by striking at US and Israeli assets in the region.

Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, who is said to be more hardline than his father, has been announced as the third Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution following a decision by the country's Assembly of Experts after days of deliberation.